__________________
"We will do this: we will hang together, we will keep our organization, our arms, our discipline, our hatred of oppression, until one universal shout goes up from an admiring age that this Missouri Cavalry Division preferred exile to submission, death to dishonor".

General Joseph O. Shelby, CSA (1830-1897)

The only Confederate General who refused to surrender himself or his 1,000+ "Iron Brigade".

I'm going to assume your going for deer and bear, just going to round it off at that. I would go with a 12. However my wife has a grudge against a 12 gauge.She won't use one because she thinks they kick to hard, and my wife is a little thing to. If your wife has a problem with the recoil of one as well, then i'm quite sure a 20 gauge would do just fine

mine has a youth model 870 in 20ga. smooth bore for skeet, rifled barrel for michigan deer. She wants a benelli.

__________________Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.

As for recoil...
Both the 12 and 20 in an exact gun will have similar felt recoil as a 20 gauge gun is lighter weight than the same model in 12 gauge.
If you weigh down a 20 it will feel softer on the shoulder but heavier on the hands and feet after a day of carry.
Brent

I agree re. a gas gun- if the family budget can handle it, a youth model 11-87 20 ga. would likely be a good way to go. Women & Guns had a review on it a couple of issues back- our own pax ( www.corneredcat.com ) thought it was a winner.

Both the 12 and 20 in an exact gun will have similar felt recoil as a 20 gauge gun is lighter weight than the same model in 12 gauge.
If you weigh down a 20 it will feel softer on the shoulder but heavier on the hands and feet after a day of carry.

Mostly true, although I think there are a few cases where this is not true. I believe Stoeger specifically has several models that they do not scale.

Going with semi-auto action is the best way to reduce recoil without adding weight or giving up the 12 ga which is much more available. My 11-87 is great. It does not handle high volumes of fire well(250+ between a wipedown), especially with dirty powder(cheap loads for sporting clays).

If your wife is going to hunt deer in Pa get her a rifle. A 20 or 12 gauge will kick the **** out of her. A 12 gauge slug compares in recoil to a .300 Win. Mag. rifle shell. A nice .243 or something like it will work better and be alot more comfortable for her.

If you or her are hell bent on a shotgun, buy something that you have no problem cutting the stock.

I shoot a fair amount of trap and have seen countless people take a beating from their gun and shoot poor scores because the wood was "to pretty to cut" or "if I cut the stock the value will drop". Both of these statements are pure B.S.! A ill fitting is worthless. Also do not get her the lightest gun you can find, get her the heaviest gun she can carry and handle. It is all physics, it takes more energy to more something the heavier it is. 1/2 a pound in a gun weight makes a world of difference in recoil. This still doesn't make up for stock fit as that is the most important thing in shotguns.

If it's true that no semi's are allowed, I'd have to +1 for the Rem. 870 20 ga. I had an 870 Express combo gun that came with a 21" rifle sight barrel with IC choke. It would be ideal with foster slugs out to 100 yds. The other barrel was a 28" VR remchoke barrel.

A combo like that would be a perfect starter gun and would allow her to hunt just about anything later if she wanted. If she has short arms, the youth model might fit better. It's true that a heavy, gas operated automatic 12 ga. would feel gentle compared to an ultralight fixed-breech 20 ga. If you compare apples to apples, the 12 ga. will feel more harsh.

__________________
To a much greater extent than most mechanical devices, firearms are terribly unforgiving of any overconfidence, complacency or negligence.

I think simple economically price shotgun for starters. My favorite all time shotgun is my old Winchester model 120 youth in 20ga. It has taken more grouse and dove than anything else I've owned. It fits me to a T. My second favorite shotgun is my SKB model 505 field O/U 12GA. But I would start her out with a 20GA. WOOHOO! another woman hunter!

New to the thread--and the shotgun forum in general...
Or you can skip all the hooey and get her a new or used 16 ga Rem or Ithaca 37 pump :-) ...Browning Citori Lightning O/U in same if you've got the jingle. Best of both worlds--12 and 20. I think Rem came out "anew" with the 16 pump after a long lay off, and maybe the Ithaca too a few years ago when it looked like the 16 was having a resurgence. Used Ithacas abound if not. Speaking of hooey, before it starts regarding ammo availability, can almost always find at least game load at the likes of Big 5, etc. The 16's relative lack of popularity (and of course related lack of broad availability of shotguns that shoot it) is the classic case of "once it gets started..." And speaking of classic, can't think of a more classic gun for your wife--or anyone for that matter. Though slugs not impossible (internet), I'll give you that one. So, find a source and load up--not going shoot a ton of those as practice anyway.

All of the posts have been good, offering fine but same ol' standard suggestions...just thought I'd shake it up with a little "16 talk." Love the 37 I've had for 40 years. No wilting violet, ...definitely no 20; you swear you've just shot a 12, until of course you shoot a 12! I don't shoot mine enough, but that's my doing what with other busy-ness...as I say, always can find shells for it, just not down at the local 7-11.

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